Memoirs of Viva Rock
by XoBlackRoseKizzleoX
Summary: After being ambushed by the Vendeeni, Fayt, Cliff, Kokoro, Cierra, and others have to not only save their sanity, but the whole world as well! Rated M for violence, language, sexual themes, mild Menodix bashing, and drugs. Pair Ups: FaytxOC, CliffxOC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything of the Star Ocean franchise (except for a few oc's) so don't sue me please!**

Prologue

The name of this planet is Hyda IV. It is a resort planet located far into the Milky Way galaxy. The planet is covered with smooth, sandy beaches with clear water, shady palm trees, and large hotels. The sun is always warm by day and is perfect to play or relax in. When night falls, the moon shines brightly, causing everything in its line of fire to glow. You could say it gives off a sort of romantic air given the right circumstances.

As a resort planet, tourists often flock here during the summer. They range from small children, to old people who have lived their lives to the fullest. Performers, families, and even couples come here on their vacations. Two of these tourists happen to be a girl with fiery red hair and her boyfriend. Ah! The time is 11:07 PM. Looks like they're just getting into their hotel room after a fun night.

"Oh Fayt, this is just beautiful! How did you know I love the ocean view this late at night?" the girl asked with amazement.

"Well Kokoro, I kinda figured that out after the bonfire back in 1922. That was one good time huh?" Fayt replied.

"Oh yeah! That was one hell of a time! Hah, remember when Cliff danced around the fire singing Barbie Girl with a pink lampshade on his head?" Kokoro recalled.

"Yeah, I remember! He really lost his manhood that night!" Fayt said.

"I know right? But hey, Cliff's always doing stuff like that. Seems like he won't rest until everyone laughs at least once during the whole thing you kow?" Kokoro said.

"Yeah," Fayt said.

The whole world seemed silent for a moment. Then a group of people decided they wanted to have a party on the beach. Their music was so loud, Fayt and Kokoro could hear it all the way from their room. After a while, a slow song came on the radio. It was Your Guardian Angel, which happened to be Fayt and Kokoro's 'song'.

"May I have this dance?" Fayt asked.

"I'd be delighted," Kokoro said.

The two of them began to dance. As they danced, Kokoro began to wonder,

"What the hell would I ever do without him? He must be one of the best things that's ever happened to me in my whole life. I remember when he asked me out the night of the bonfire. He dragged me the woods by the lake, then we sat down on the rocks and talked for a bit. Then he said it:"

"Will you go out with me?"

"Of course I said yes. There was just something about him. Something that made me want to stand by him forever. God I love him! I'd be lost if anything happened to him!"

Kokoro was so lost in thought, so lost in the moment. Fayt suddenly stopped dancing and kissed her gently, but passionately. They must have kept it up for a while, that is until the music died down suddenly. This was due to the lively-sounding girl next door yelling at the people having the party outside.

"Hey guys, keep it down over there! You're messing up our rehearsal!"

"Damn! Performers rehearsing this late at night? Great, just what we need," Fayt said.

"It's alright Fayt, I was getting kinda tired anyway. I'm probably gonna go to bed now," Kokoro said while yawning.

"Yeah, me too," Fayt said. "Heh, we couldn't lose Sophia for nothing! Why does she always wanna tag along wth us wherever we go? It's getting kinda annoying."

"Tell me about it. Man, I can't stand her candy ass!" Kokoro said in disgust.

"Neither can I. Well, no use getting worked up about it now. Tomorrow's gonna be a brand new day," Fayt said.

"You're right, and tomorrow's gonna be better than ever!" Kokoro said.

"Why's that?" Fayt asked as he was climbing into bed.

"Isn't the Rosetti performance tomorrow? I heard Cliff say something about trying to do something with them! Besides, our one-year anniversary is tomorrow too!" Kokoro said excitedly.

"Oh yeah! Wow, I can't believe it's been a year already. Seems like we've known each other since the beginning of time," Fayt said. "Besides, what do you think Cliff's gonna do for the performance?"

"I don't know, a dance of some sort most likely," Kokoro said.

"Hah! I'd love to see that happen. That happens, and Hell freezes over!" Fayt said.

"You're right! Well, anyway, I'm off to bed. Good night!" Kokoro said.

"Good night," Fayt said as he kissed his girlfriend one more time.

Exactly five hours have passed. Fayt and Kokoro are sound asleep. The clock reads 4:37 AM. Kokoro wakes up and somehow senses something is wrong. She gets up and walks over to the bed in which Fayt is sleeping.

"Fayt, wake up! Come on Fayt, wake up!" Kokoro shouted.

"Mmmm...whaa? Baby what's wrong? Is the Taco Police at our door?" Fayt asked as he sprung out of bed. "Don't worry, I'll kill them all right off the bat. Besides, I could use a little sparring practice anyway!"

"Fayt, have you been dreaming of when tacos attempt to take over the world again?" Kokoro asked.

"Heh, I must have been. Now please tell me why you look so upset?" Fayt asked.

"Fayt, I know this might sound weird, but I have this strange feeling that something bad's gonna happen to us very soon," Kokoro said. "We gotta get off this planet! Something's just telling me that we shouldn't be here!"

"Baby, are you sure you weren't just having a bad dream?" Fayt asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it! It just seems so real to me. Almost like it's gotta be true, you know?" Kokoro said.

"I understand, I kinda feel that way too. But just try and get some sleep, okay? Maybe tomorrow won't seem so bad," Fayt said.

"Oh, okay," Kokoro said. She turned around to go back to her bed, but before she could take another step, a computerized voice spoke through the intercom.

"Attention guests of Hyda IV, there has been an attack by an unidentified ship. Please escape through the transporters located at every location within the hotel. I repeat, please escape through the transporters located at every location within the hotel."

"Gosh Kokoro, you were right!" Fayt said. He seemed shocked.

"God, now what do we do?" Kokoro said.

Before either could make a move, a giant, crab-like creature walked through the building and proceeded to crush it. Fayt and Kokoro panicked and ran for the door, but it was too late. The crab broke through the floor and sent Fayt and Kokoro falling to the ground floor.

"You okay Kokoro?" he asked helping Kokoro to her feet as they got up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said back. She walked with a bit of a limp.

"I repeat, please walk to the nearest transporter and be ready to transport to Sol III, First Satellite. And please, try not to panic." the computerized voice said again.

"A little too late for that, huh?" Kokoro said.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Fayt said. "Hey, I remember seeing a transporter over there on the beach! You see it?"

"Yeah, I do! The line looks rather long for it though," Kokoro said sadly.

"Yeah, but I think that's the way all the lines are. Besides, I don't know of any other transporters we have access to besides this one," Fayt said.

"Okay, okay. Let's make a run for it!" Kokoro shouted.

They both ran as fast as they could to the beach, where they got stopped by a scary-looking man in an orange ship.

"Not so fast, Leingod boy and company!" the strange man said.

"Who the hell are you?" Kokoro asked. You could tell she was getting very angry very quickly.

"How dare you talk to me that way? You are talking to an elite soldier of the Vendeeni force! My name is of no importance to you pathetic humans. For your rudeness, you shall pay!"the strange man said.

It appeared the strange man was aiming for Kokoro. However, he had a sudden change of heart and aimed for Fayt instead."

"Ready to die the same way your father did, Fayt Leingod?" the man asked.

The strange man fired his gun, which emitted an eerie beam of blue light. Kokoro realized what the man was doing and jumped in front of the beam. Time seemed to slow down drastically during the course of this sequence.

"Kokoro, no!!!" Fayt screamed.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Just as Kokoro was about to get hit by the strange man's gun, she sat up, gasping for air. She got a closer look at her surroundings. She was in her room. There was the same Story of the Year poster on the wall, the same teddy bear given to her by Fayt, the same everything.

"Another dream about them. This makes the eighth time this month! What the hell's going on?" Kokoro wondered.

She got up and checked the calendar sitting alone on the wall. It was July 8th, just as she thought. She then took a shower, got dressed, and went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. She must have put at least twenty sugars in before she realized what she was doing.

"Damn, I must be having an off day today," she said to herself. "I know! I'll run over to Kelsey's Bar and Grill! There's nothing else better to do anyway," she said.

Kokoro went outside and looked around. It was a beautiful day in Pot Junction, Massachusetts. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The air from the ocean, which was only five minutes away could be smelled from a distance. The trees were a bright shade of green and flowers bloomed everywhere you looked.

Kokoro saw her car parked in the driveway, right where she left it the night before. It was a beat-up '86 Chevy that only started when it wanted to, but it was better than nothing. It took at least five minutes to start the car, but you could eventually see it cruisin' along Autumn Avenue. A few minutes later, Kokoro pulled into the Kelsey's Bar and Grill drive-thru. A girl's voice spoke through the intercom.

"Hey, welcome to Kelsey's Bar and Grill, where the drugs are cheap and the food is fresh off the street! How may I help you?"

"Uhh, yeah. Can I get a raccoon burger with the sidewalk fries and a half-eaten ketchup please?" Kokoro asked.

"Sure! And if you pay an extra dollar, the raccoon burger won't be from a raccoon that has rabies!" the girl said.

"Yeah, I'll take it!" Kokoro said happily.

"Okay, that'll be $4.95. First window please!" the girl said.

"Alright!" Kokoro said as she drove up.

"Sorry, you went too far," said the girl.

"My bad," said Kokoro as she drove back a little bit.

"What the hell? Man, you're in the McDonald's parking lot! Get your ass over here!" the girl shouted.

"Okay, my bad," Kokoro said as she drove up more.

As Kokoro drove up to the window, she saw a young girl with dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes standing at the window with a bag of food.

"Alright, you're here. Here's your food!" the girl said as she gave the bag to Kokoro.

"Thank you, and here's your $4.95!" Kokoro said.

"Kokoro, wait up! You still owe me that sandpaper from last time!" the girl jokingly said.

"You're right Cierra! Let me check the trunk real quick," Kokoro said.

"Oh God, this is going to take a while!" Cierra said. "Hey Cliff, can you give me a hand with these umbrellas?"

"Uhh...sure! What am I supposed to do with them?" asked the muscular, blonde-haired man coming from behind the counter.

"You just put them in these glasses over here. This is our new special! It's called the Tequila Señor on a Stiick. Just make sure you don't put pink ones in them, or we might lose a lot of business," Cierra explained.

"Oh I get it. You're saying I'll look like a fairy if I put pink ones in, aren't you? Geez you could show some respect once in a while!" Cliff said.

"Cliff, stop. It's not like that! It's just that everyone in this town despises pink, and they might go all beast mode on us if we put the pink ones in. Besides, you're too cool to be a fairy!" Cierra stammered.

"Hey chill out girl, I'm just teasing you! Relax! It was a J-O-K-E! Cliff said coolly.

"Yeah right," Cierra thought. She then decided to see how Kokoro was dealing with the trunk.

"How's it goin' over there man?"

"Just fuckin' great. I can't get the trunk open!" Kokoro shouted.

"No sweat. Just leave it to me!" Cliff said. He then went outside to Kokoro's car. "You're gonna love this one Cierra! PUNCHING SHIT!!!" he shouted as he proceeded to punch the trunk open.

"Damn, Cliff, that was amazing!" Cierra said in astonishment. "Didn't that hurt though?"

"Nope! I'm a Klausian! We're stronger than anyone on Earth! We can take the pain!" Cliff gloated.

"Awesome! Hey Kokoro, the trunk's open!" Cierra exclaimed.

"Yeah, but look at the rest of the car!" Kokoro said as she pointed to her car. The trunk was open, but the windows were smashed, the tires were flat, the roof and sides were bashed in, and the fuzzy dice just floated away in the warm, gentle July breeze.

"Heh, sorry about that," Cliff said.

"Sorry? SORRY?!? You just trashed my car you...oh hold on a sec. I'm getting another call," Kokoro said.

"Saved by the bell!" Cierra chimed in as Cliff nodded in agreement.

"Oh it's Fayt!" Kokoro exclaimed. "Hello?...Oh hi!...What?...Oh my god this can't be happening!...Alright, I'll be right over...Okay...Love you too...Bye."

"Well, what does he want?" Cierra asked.

"I gotta run up to Fayt's house real quick," Kokoro said.

"But you don't have a car, and he lives on the other side of town! How are you gonna get there?" Cierra asked.

"Ehh, it's okay. I'll walk," Kokoro said.

"Wait a sec. What are you talking about? I'll give you a ride in my car! Cierra, you're coming with us," Cliff said.

"Wait. If we both go, who's gonna take orders at the store?" Cierra asked.

"Mirage can do it!" Cliff said.

"But she's the only one who works here besides you and me. How can she do everything by herself?" Cierra asked.

"Cierra, you're forgetting she's a Klausian too. Don't worry about her! I've seen her do a lot more than this before. Remember back in the War of the Pie against Aldian?" Cliff pointed out.

"Why is Aldian always at war with someone?" Cierra asked.

"No Cierra, do you?" Cliff asked again.

"Yeah..." Cierra said.

"She was the weapons manager. She had to hand out the weapons, give orders, and clean all at once. If it wasn't for her, we'd all be dead by now,"Cliff said.

"Now Cliff, aren't you exaggerating just a little bit here? I didn't do everything myself. Maria and Steeg helped out an awful lot too!" Mirage chimed in.

"Guys, remember? We gotta get to Fayt's house pronto! This might actually be important this time!" Kokoro shouted.

"Oh yeah! We should go now. Laters!" Cierra said. Looking back at Mirage waving good-bye, she asked Cliff, "Say, where is your car?"

"It's right here!" Cliff said. It appeared as if he was pointing to thin air.

"Cliff, that's nothing but thin air," Cierra said.

"No it's not! Check this out! Cliff exclaimed. He reached for his car keys. It had a small remote control attached to the ring. He pushed the red button in the center. Suddenly, a tough-looking SUV came into view.

"Cliff, did you steal the Invisible Boat-Mobile from the retirement home again?" Cierra asked jokingly.

"No, I got it upgraded at the shop the other day! Now, no one can jack it again!" Cliff explained.

"I like! Okay, let's go!" Cierra said.

Cliff, Cierra, and Kokoro all climbed into Cliff's car and hit the road. It didn't usually take this long to drive to Fayt's house from Kelsey's Bar and Grill, but they eventually found themselves stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.

"Damn! What's the hold up?" Cliff asked.

"I honestly have no clue," Kokoro said. She smelled something rather strange. "You guys smell that?" she asked.

"No, but it seriously looks like someone should kick their tobacco habit," Cliff said.

"Cliff, that ain't no cigarette smoke. Look over there!" Cierra said.

Cierra was right. That wasn't cigarette smoke, but it was a car accident. The car was in flames, and there were police, fire trucks, ambulances, and cameramen all over.

"Owww, crash and burn!" Cliff said. All of a sudden, a figure came out of the car, but he was barely noticeable through all the smoke. Hey, someone's getting out! Who's our lucky winner tonight Johnny?"

Cliff, Cierra, and Kokoro would soon realize this is no laughing matter. The smoke finally cleared, and all that could be seen was a boy about 5'9" with blue hair and green eyes being taken away by a stretcher.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Is that...who I think it is?" Cierra asked.

"Dear lord, it's Fayt!" Kokoro screamed.

Kokoro and Cierra ran out to try and see if Fayt was alright. A policeman was putting crime scene tape all around Fayt's car. It was totaled. Of course the car that crashed into Fayt's car didn't look any better. As Kokoro and Cierra approached Fayt, another policeman stopped them.

"Sorry ladies, but I'm afraid you must leave. This boy is in serious need of medical help," he said.

"Excuse me? That's my boyfriend right there!" Kokoro shouted.

"Sorry worm, but you can see him in the hospital later. Seems he suffered major damage to his head and right arm, so he'll need his rest," the officer said.

"Well, can I at least go in the ambulance with him? I need to make sure he'll be alright!" Kokoro said.

"He'll be just fine. I don't see why you're so worried about a minor situation like this!" he said.

"MINOR?? WELL EXCUSE ME, OFFICER NOX!!" Kokoro yelled as she read the officer's name tag. "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND WHO GOT INTO A BAD ACCIDENT? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE TOLD YOU SHE HAD HEAD DAMAGE AND WAS BLEEDING? YOU'D WANT TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS ALRIGHT, RIGHT? AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEW UP THE SLIT IN YOUR SKIRT BECAUSE NO ONE EXACTLY WANTS TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER YOU DAMN TRANSVESTITE!!!" Kokoro cried out.

"Hmph. Fine, go. If it will make you shut up," Officer Nox said.

"Cierra, you and Cliff should go back to Kelsey's Bar and Grill. I'm going to the hospital with Fayt. I'll call you when I know what room he's in so you guys can visit too," Kokoro said.

"Okay. Hope Fayt feels better!" Cierra said.

"Yeah, me too," Kokoro said. "Well, see ya!"

"Later," Cierra called back.

Cierra walked back to Cliff's car. When she got in, Cliff was very confused.

"Well, what was that all about? Is Fayt alright? Why was Kokoro freaking out so much? Where's she going? And why do they let guys that look like rapists on the police force?" Cliff asked.

"THAT was Officer Nox. Kokoro yelled at him because she couldn't go in the ambulance with Fayt. They're on their way to the hospital now. Apparently, Fayt has major head damage and he banged up his arm pretty bad. And as for Nox, he's just a perverted asshole. I mean, the slit on his skirt was a little too long if you ask me," Cierra explained.

"I see. Yeah, I don't think he's the best person to talk to, and I sure as hell don't want you near him," Cliff said.

"Hey, it's not like we're gonna see the likes of him again!" Cierra said. "Oh and by the way, Kokoro wants us to go back to Kelsey's Bar and Grill until she knows what room Fayt's in," Cierra said.

"Okay," Cliff said.

The way back was a lot easier than the way there. When Cliff and Cierra got back to the store, they met up with Mirage at the drive-thru window.

"Hey there! That was a quick visit! How was it? And where's Kokoro?" Mirage asked.

"Long story," Cierra said.

"Well come on in! I like long stories!" Mirage said.

Cliff and Cierra walked into the store. They told Mirage of what happened; about Fayt's accident, about Kokoro's breakdown, about Nox being a heartless transvestite, everything.

"Oh, so that's what happened. I sure hope Fayt's gonna be okay!" Mirage said.

"Yeah, me too. We were supposed to meet him at his house too. Wonder why he was out on the street?" Cierra wondered.

"I don't know. Had to have been for a good reason though! Besides, we all know Fayt by now. He can survive just about anything! Remember when he had to beat up that giant chicken? He made it out alive!" Mirage recalled.

"Oh yeah! We had a huge feast that day! I swear there was something wrong with that chicken though," Cliff said.

"Yeah I know. You all got the stomach flu because of it! I had to work while you were filming Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, but Kokoro and I stuck around to take care of you all!" Cierra said.

"Yeah! Don't think we would've made it without you two!" Cliff said.

"Aww, it was nothing," Cierra said.

"Cierra, are you blushing?" Mirage asked.

"Umm...no! Why would I be?" Cierra stammered.

"Cierra, you're blushing! Admit it!" Mirage teased.

"No I'm not! Now shut up!" Cierra shouted.

"Or is it you like Cliff?" Mirage suggested.

"Umm...uh..." Cierra stammered.

"Hah! I knew it! Cierra likes Cliff! Cierra likes Cliff! Nyeah nyeah na nyeah nyeah!" Mirage teased.

"Cut it out Mirage!" Cliff cut in. "Come on, we gotta get back to work anyway. Look at the time!"

"You're right! Come on, let's go!" Mirage said.

Cliff, Cierra, and Mirage continued serving customers for two more hours. It was unusually busy for a Thursday, but they managed to serve everyone. A happy air came about the dining room, and everyone left the drive-thru with smiles on their faces. At around 4:00 PM, Mirage sent Cliff and Cierra on their breaks.

"Hey Cierra, can I talk to you real quick?" Cliff asked.

"Umm...sure," Cierra said.

Cliff led Cierra to the back room of the store. Cierra was blushing harder than ever.

"So...what's up?" Cierra asked.

"Cierra, is it true?" Cliff asked.

"Is what true?" Cierra asked.

"You know what I mean Cierra. Do you like me?" Cliff asked.

"Umm...uh..." Cierra stammered.

"Come on! You can tell me anything!" Cliff said smoothly.

"Okay Cliff, I'll admit it. I like you. No, scratch that. I love you. I loved you since the bonfire back in 1922 when I first met you. I thought it was really funny when you danced around the fire singing Barbie Girl with a pink lampshade on your head. Cliff, there's just something about you that makes me wanna stay by your side forever and always, I love you. I always will too." Cierra confessed. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she said, "God I hope you understand..."

"Wow...wow..." Cliff said. He seemed surprised.

"You're not mad, are you?" Cierra asked.

"No. It's just that..." Cliff began to say but was cut off by his phone ringing.

"Hey, this is Cliff. What's up?...Oh yeah, she's right here...Yeah she forgot her phone in the office...Yeah?...Okay we'll be right there...Okay, bye."

"Who was that?" Cierra asked.

"That was Kokoro. She knows what room Fayt's in," Cliff said.

"Is he okay?" Cierra asked.

"Yeah, we think he's gonna be okay. He's in room ICU-208 at the Second Shinee Medical Hospital. Kokoro wants me, you, and Mirage to stop by for a little bit," Cliff said.

"Okay. Cliff, can I ask you one thing?"

"Sure, anything!" Cliff said.

"What happened to the First Shinee Medical Hospital?" Cierra asked.

"God knows. Now let's go tell Mirage and get outta this joint," Cliff said.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Kokoro was in Fayt's room. Fayt looked like an angel as he slept. He was all bandaged up, and he had a heart rate monitor and an IV hooked up to him. Kokoro was seated in the stool right next to him. She was still very upset about the situation.

"Oh Fayt, how could that heartless asshole do this to you? Why does Nox have to be so cruel? Oh Fayt, I'd die without you. You gotta live through this!" Kokoro said.

Five minutes passed by. Cliff, Cierra, and Mirage haven't come yet.

"God, when the hell are they gonna get here? It shouldn't take this long to get here from Kelsey's Bar and Grill!" Kokoro shouted.

"Shhh...Fayt's sleeping. Don't disturb him," a nurse with short red hair and a dagger scolded.

"Sorry," Kokoro said.

Fayt stirred a little. After a while, his eyes opened slowly.

"Kokoro, is that you?" he asked.

"Yes Fayt, it's me! God, I'm so glad you're okay!" Kokoro said as she wrapped her arms around Fayt.

"Yes, baby, I'm okay. My arm hurts a bit though. Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in the hospital. Some dickhead crashed into your car and knocked you unconscious. Cierra, Cliff, and Mirage should be here any minute. Fayt, I'm just so happy you're okay!" Kokoro said again.

"Kokoro, thanks for coming to see me. I don't know what I'd do without you either. You mean the world to me," Fayt said softly as he grabbed Kokoro's hand.

"Fayt..."Kokoro began to say but was interrupted by Cliff, Cierra, and Mirage entering the room.

"Damn, you look pretty banged up. You okay?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. My head and arm hurt like hell, but I'm fine," Fayt replied.

"What took you guys so long anyway?" Kokoro said.

"We had no clue Cherry St. Was a toll road, so we had to drive back to the store, get my wallet, go back to the toll booth, pay the fee, and continue on our way. Besides, Mr. Fittir over here spent a rather long time in the bathroom! Cliff, is there something about you we don't know?" Mirage asked.

"No, I just drank too much water before we left! What did you think?" Cliff asked.

"Oh nothing...anyway, how are you Fayt?" Mirage asked.

"Not bad, just wish my head stopped hurting," Fayt said.

"Hey, come to think of it, I've recently begun studying symbology. I've been working on this move I just learned. Fayt, tell me if it makes you feel any better, okay?" Cierra asked.

"Okay," said Fayt.

Cierra pointed at Fayt. "HEALING RAY!!!" she shouted. A beam of blue light shot from Cierra's finger and hit Fayt. Then, Cierra asked, "How do you feel?"

"Better! Man, your spell really works! What's it called again?"

"Healing Ray," Cierra said.

Just then, the same nurse that yelled at Kokoro walked in.

"Well, Mr. Leingod, you sure look better!" the nurse said.

"Yeah, thanks to Cierra! She used healing ray on me!" Fayt exclaimed.

"So you're Cierra? I've heard a lot about you. You're pretty talented! I'm Nel Zelpher. I'm a nurse here." Nel said.

"I see," Cierra said.

"Nel? I haven't seen you since we finished shooting Star Ocean! What's up?" Cliff said.

"Oh, nothing. More and more people are coming here since we finished the movie. Didn't they read the warning on the title screen? 'Kids, don't try this at home.'" Nel said.

"I guess not," Fayt said.

"You should've seen the cop at the accident! I swear he was a transvestite! He had long hair and a belly shirt and everything! It was disgusting!" Cierra said.

"Transvestite, eh? Sounds like someone I know!" said Nel.

"Who?" Mirage asked.

"I'll tell you later. I gotta get back to work," Nel said.

"Oh, okay. Say, me, Cliff, and Cierra are coming to my house later for tacos later. You three wanna come?" Mirage asked.

"Sure! I'll meet up with you after I get out. Fayt, are you gonna be okay?" Nel asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Fayt said as he almost fell over.

"Come on Fayt!" Kokoro said as she grabbed Fayt's hand.

"Bye Nel! Nice meeting you!" Cierra called.

"You too Cierra. Be careful on the way there, you know how crazy people can get this late at night!," Nel warned.

"Alright, thanks!" Cierra said as the five made their way to Cliff's car.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

For a moment it seemed why the Second Shinee Medical Hospital was a lot bigger than the First Shinee Medical Hospital. There were many more flights of stairs in the second one than in the first. Fifteen minutes have passed by, and Fayt, Kokoro, Cliff, Cierra, and Mirage are still going down the stairs. Cliff seems to be getting rather impatient.

"Damn! Can there be any more stairs in this hell hole?" he asked.

"I have no clue. How long have we been going down?" Cierra asked.

"At least fifteen minutes I assume. Something just doesn't seem right though," Mirage said.

"Why's that?" Cliff asked.

"It didn't take this long to get to Fayt's room, remember? There were only a few flights we had to climb. Wasn't there also an elevator?" Mirage asked.

"Yeah, but it was out of order," Kokoro said.

"Oh yeah...but it still didn't take this long, did it?" Cierra asked.

"No it didn't. Oh look! A rubber duckie!" Kokoro pointed out.

"Kokoro, we passed that duck three times already!" Fayt shouted.

"Fayt, are you saying we're going around in circles?" Cierra asked.

"We must be. Why else would we see the same duck three times? Oh look! A knife! Why's it just lying around in the middle of a hospital?" Fayt wondered.

"Surgeon must've got mad and threw it in the hallway?" Cliff suggested.

"Must be. Anyway, we gotta keep going if we wanna get to my house in one piece," Mirage said.

The five moved along the seemingly endless stairwell of the hospital. They saw the same duck and the same knife at least five more times. Finally, Fayt fell to his knees and cried out,

"I can't take this anymore! This is the tenth time we've seen that fuckin' duck! We've gotta be going around in circles or something!" God!"

"Hee hee hee hee..." a strange voice rang out.

"What was that?" Cierra asked in a panic.

"Well whatever it is, it's gonna get its ass kicked!" Mirage shouted.

"Hee hee! Can't find me!" the voice said.

"Who the HELL are you?" Cliff screamed. The voice had no reply. "I said, who the HELL are you?" Cliff asked a second time. Still no answer. After a long, awkward silence, the voice appeared to have vanished.

"Is he gone?" Kokoro asked.

"I don't know, but be on the lookout. You never know what in the world he might do," Mirage said cautiously.

They passed the duck again. It appeared to have a strange black aura around it. Cierra asked,

"Hey, I wonder if the duck and the knife are supposed to mean something?"

"Hmmm...you may be right Cierra!" Cliff said as Cierra picked up the duck and looked at it closely. Nothing strange seemed to happen.

They continued on their merry way, pausing every now and then to try and pinpoint the whereabouts of the strange voice. They passed the knife yet again. It had the same black aura the duck had. Fayt picked up the knife and looked at it closely. The blade appeared to be very sharp, almost as if it could serve as a weapon. Then suddenly,

"Hee hee!" the strange voice said.

"Getting very angry, Fayt threw the knife in the direction of the voice. When his hand released its grip and the knife flew, it wound up between the teeth of the man with the eerie voice. His figure was hard to make out in the dark hallway, but they could see that he had the glowing red eyes of a demon.

"Holy shit, he caught it with his teeth!" Kokoro said in shock.

"Hee hee! Aww, you found me! And I thought our little game was going so well too...but that's okay! You'll find out soon enough you're missing something important to you! Hee hee! Hee hee!" The strange man said. He snapped his fingers and vanished into thin air.

"...Okay...? That guy was insane..." Mirage said.

They all kept going down the stairs, seeing there was nothing else better to do.

"You know what?" Kokoro said.

"What?" Cliff and Mirage answered.

"I can't help but feel this empty feeling at the bottom of my heart," Kokoro said.

"You know what? Me too. I feel like a part of me is missing somehow. A part of me that's been with me for what feels like forever. A part of me that I care a lot about," Cliff said.

"Look! It's an exit!" Mirage pointed out.

"Oh my god, you're right! Now let's get the hell up outta here!" Kokoro said.

"Right. Let's go," Cliff said. For once, the comic relief guy of the group seemed to have a hint of sadness in his voice, and everyone could notice it. They finally found Cliff's car and got inside.

"So where are we off to again?" Kokoro asked.

"My house, remember?" Mirage replied.

"Oh, right." said Kokoro.

They got on the road after what seemed like forever. Believe it or not, it was while they were actually on the road that they realized what they were really missing...

Fayt woke up with a start. All he could see for miles and miles was pure black darkness. The kind of darkness where the creepiest monsters alive dwell. He also saw iron bars. Lots of them. He also saw iron tables all around him. On those tables were many things, from knives, to beakers, to volcanic rocks. Cierra happened to be strapped to the table beside him. He himself realized he was also strapped to a table.

"Where am I?" He asked himself. "Kokoro? Cliff? Mirage? Where are you?"

It was then when he realized he was trapped in an enormous cage, and Cierra was trapped with him. He also noticed his right arm was covered by what looked like a brown pillowcase.

"Now how did I get this?" He wondered. "Oh yeah...it must have been from the accident."

Fayt heard a faint moan coming from the table next to him. Cierra herself had awakened."

"Ugh, where am I? Cliff? Kokoro? Fayt? Mirage? Where are you?"

"Cierra, I'm right here," Fayt said.

"Fayt! Oh my god I'm so glad you're here! Do you have any clue where we are?" she asked as she looked around.

"No, sorry. I'm just about as lost as you are," he said.

"Why are we strapped to tables?" Cierra asked.

"I don't know that either, I'm afraid. I just woke up a few minutes ago, and I realized we were here," Fayt said.

"Wait a second...Fayt, weren't we just going down the stairs in the hospital?" Cierra asked.

"Yeah, so how did we...of course..."

"What?"

"Cierra, I think we just got ourselves kidnapped," Fayt said.

"You're right. I have no clue how we ended up here! I wanna go home!!" Cierra screamed.

"Me too Cierra, me too," Fayt said sympathetically.

All of a sudden, an orange ship showed up by the cage door. A tall man with grayish skin color and a blue and gray skin-tight uniform walked slowly out of the ship's entrance. He unlocked the cage door and walked inside. He made his way to Cierra's table and undid the straps pinning her down. He said to her,

"Cierra Dragonheart, our leader wishes to see you."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"How do you know my name??" Cierra asked.

"That is of no importance right now, miss. If our leader wishes to see you, then we must take you with us, whether you like it or not," the strange man said.

"Umm...okay," Cierra said in a confused, yet worried tone.

As Cierra followed the strange man, all Fayt could do was lay on the table and watch Cierra slowly vanish into the nothingness surrounding him. He was worried about Cierra. He was afraid he might never see her again. He didn't want to be left alone in his cold, dark prison.

"And by the way, human," the strange man said, "You may call me Phil."

Meanwhile, the clock had struck 8:00 PM, and Cliff, Kokoro, and Mirage were still on the highway leading back to Pot Junction. They noticed the remains of Fayt's car have been picked up as they were driving along the unusually vacant highway. Both Cliff and Kokoro were still in a melancholy state of mind.

"So where exactly are these tacos comin' from Mirage?" Cliff asked.

"I was thinking about this new place over on Razorblade Drive that just opened up if that's okay. What's it called again? Hmmm...Oh yeah! Rancher Joe's Taco Farm!" Mirage said.

"Sorry Mirage, but I gotta pass. I've been there before. Man you should see how they're made first. Trust me, they're not even edible!" Kokoro said. "Geez, Fayt and Cierra are being awful quiet. Hey guys, you okay back there?"

There was no response from either of them, so Kokoro turned around to face the back seat. Neither Fayt nor Cierra were in the car at the moment.

"Umm...Cliff? Fayt and Cierra aren't in the car," Kokoro said.

The car abruptly came to a stop.

"They're not here? What are you talking about?" Cliff asked.

"They're not here! Check the back if you don't believe me!" Kokoro said.

Cliff and Mirage looked all over for them, but neither were to be found.

"Damn! Think we might've left them behind at the hospital?" Cliff said.

"I don't know, but I'll tell you one thing: something seriously ain't right," Mirage said.

"And your point is..." Kokoro wondered aloud.

"Don't you think they would've said something when we found the exit?" Mirage pointed out.

"You know what, you may be right," Kokoro said.

At that very moment, Cliff's phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered. "Hmph, no one's there," he said as he hung up. Two minutes later, his phone rang again. "Hello?" he answered again. "Damn! No one's there!"

"Okay, this is just creepy. Your phone rang twice, and both times no one was there?" Kokoro said.

"Yeah, I have no clue what the hell's going on!" Cliff said with a hint of anger in his voice. His phone rang a third time. "HELLO?!?" he screamed. "WHAT THE HELL?!?" Cliff screamed as he slammed his phone on the dashboard.

"No one's there?" Mirage wondered aloud.

"How did you know? Something's screwed up here, and I'm gonna find out what it is!" Cliff screamed. His phone rang yet again. "What the hell do you want??" Cliff shouted.

There was silence across the line for a few moments. Cliff made a move to hang up, but a creepy man's voice began speaking.

"This is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and we..." the voice began to say but was cut off by another strange man.

"Phil, get it right for God's sake! We're the Anonymous Brigade, remember??"

"Right, sorry Master Biwig!" Phil said. "Anyway, we are the Anonymous Parade, and we got your friends locked up..."

"DAMN IT PHIL! JUST LET ME DO THE TALKING!!!" the man named Biwig shouted.

"Sorry Master!" Phil said.

"Damn fool..." Biwig said as he took control of the phone. He cleared his throat and began talking again.

"This is the Anonymous Brigade. We have your puny friends in custody. If you ever want to see them the same way again, you are to hand over the Kelsey's bar and Grill franchise, as well as all the recipes for all the food by midnight. If you refuse, we will use the poor humans' inner power to take over each planet in the Milky Way, one by one. Then we will brutally murder them when we no longer need them. And for your information, these are the people we have hostage. We have with us: Fayt Leingod, and Cierra Dragonheart. Hand over Kelsey's Bar and Grill to us, and no one gets hurt," Biwig announced.

It seemed that Phil had taken control of the microphones within the ship when he got kicked off the phone, because his hand slipped suddenly, allowing Cierra to talk on the phone for a short time.

"Don't do it Cliff! They're trying..." Cierra gasped before Biwig cut her off.

"Silence, human! You'll pay for that later!" Biwig said. "Now remember fools, hand it all over by midnight."

Biwig hung up. There was an awkward silence within Cliff's car after the ominous phone call.

"Woah..." Mirage began.

"Well, didn't you hear that man? They kidnapped Fayt and Cierra!" Kokoro screamed. "What are we gonna do? Where are they? Oh God..." Kokoro panicked.

"Calm down Kokoro, we'll find them," Cliff said.

"But how? We have no clue where the hell they are!" Kokoro said.

"Kokoro, stop. Anyway, the name Biwig sounds familiar. I had no clue his apprentice was that stupid though," Cliff said.

"Biwig...isn't he the leader of the Vendeeni?" Mirage asked.

"You're right Mirage, he is!" Cliff exclaimed.

"So they're obviously being held on or around Vendeen," Kokoro said.

"Yeah. I also know that they only have one ship that can communicate with others by phone. That would be the PyroStarr II," Mirage chimed in.

"Only one ship that can talk on the phone? That's lame," Kokoro said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Cliff said. "Well, we're off to Vendeen!"

"Just one problem," Mirage said.

"What's that?" Cliff asked.

"This car can't fly. We gotta fly to Vendeen if we wanna get there by midnight," Mirage said.

"Yeah, that could pose a problem," Cliff said.

"You guys need a hand?" a familiar voice spoke.

"Nel? What are you doing here?" Kokoro asked.

"I just got out of work, and I couldn't help but see you all stuck on the highway," Nel said.

"Well, we're not exactly what you call 'stuck' to say the least," Kokoro replied.

"Oh really? So what's up?" Nel asked.

Cliff, Kokoro, and Mirage told Nel the whole story of what happened from when they left Fayt's room up until the phone call from the Vendeeni.

"So that's what happened. The poor boy just got out of the hospital too. You should've called me. The same thing happened to a different group of people four hundred years ago. They all ended up dying," Nel said.

"How do you know that?" Cliff asked.

"I read it in a book once. So you're sayin you need a flying car to reach Vendeen?" Nel asked.

"Yeah, that's the gist of it," Cliff said.

"I can help you there. This, my friends, is the Gai-Mobile. It can fly and is equipped with cannons, radar, and GPS. The only downfall? It's a tight fit, there's no stereo system, and the engine runs like it hasn't been used in years," Nel explained.

"It's still better than nothing. Come on guys, let's go!" Kokoro said.

"Wait a sec. What should I do with my car?" Cliff asked.

"Park it in a secure place in the woods. There's no time to drive to your house, park your car, and then go to Vendeen from there. By then, something may have happened to Fayt and Cierra," Nel said.

"Okay," Cliff said.

Cliff then turned his car invisible and parked it deep in the woods next to an oddly-shaped tree. He then caught up with Kokoro and Mirage, who were boarding the Gai-Mobile.

"Alright, let's go!" Mirage said.

"Nel started up the engine. It took as long, if not longer to start than the engine in Kokoro's old car, but it eventually started up. Now, it's official. Nel, Cliff, Kokoro, and Mirage were on their way to Vendeen.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

**Hey everyone! Just so you all know, I still don't own any of the Star Ocean franchise except for a few OC's (Kokoro, Cierra, Phil), so there's no reason to sue me. Also, check out the stories Drifting Promise and Opposites Attract, cuz they both kick some serious ass! Anyway, on with the story...**

Boredom was slowly setting in for Cliff, Nel, Kokoro, and Mirage. They slowly began to discover that Vendeen wasn't as close to Earth as they had thought. Cliff began to grow rather impatient.

"Are we there yet?" he asked.

"Nope," Mirage replied. Five minutes passed before Cliff spoke again.

"Are we there yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Nel replied.

Cliff was slowly becoming more impatient, and so were the rest of the people on board. He kept asking if they were there yet, and each time, someone would tell him no. Finally, he asked a question that made Mirage snap.

"Are we there yet?" Cliff asked yet again.

"NO Cliff, we are NOT there yet! Now would you please stop being so annoying and find a way to entertain yourself?" Mirage shouted.

For once, the Gai-Mobile was dead silent. Moments later, however, Cliff began singing a rather unusual song.

"One million bottles of beer on the wall, one million bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, 999,999 bottles of beer on the wall! 999,999 bottles of beer on the wall, 999,999 bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, 999,998 bottles of beer on the wall! 999,998 bottles of beer on the wall, 999,998 bottles of beer..." he sang.

Everyone on board slowly began getting annoyed with this charade too.

"CLIFF! SHUT THE FUCK UP! No one needs a migraine at a time like this!" Kokoro screamed.

"Hey, chill out! I was just trying to lighten the mood a little bit!" Cliff retorted.

"Honestly Cliff, what in the world does Cierra see in you?" Mirage wondered.

Cliff said nothing.

"Aww, does my little Cliffy Wiffy like the cute girl back? That's so sweet!" Mirage teased.

"Cut it out Mirage, it's not funny," Cliff said.

"You like Cierra?" Kokoro wondered.

Before he could say anything, they stumbled across what happened to be a giant, floating cage. There were many tables inside. One of them had absolutely nothing on it, and a blue-haired boy was strapped to another.

"Ladies and Cliff, I think have found one of our hostages!" Nel hollered.

"Alright! Let's get our asses over there!" Kokoro said enthusiastically.

Nel switched the Gai-Mobile into turbo and drove to the cage as fast as she could. She parked the car right in front of the cage door and opened the door of the Gai-Mobile. She got a closer look at the boy on the table. It was Fayt alright, and she tried to open the cage door.

"Just push on it, it's unlocked," Fayt said in a weary voice.

Nel pushed on the door and beckoned for the others to come closer. Once Kokoro saw Fayt, she pushed Nel out of the way and ran toward him.

"Fayt!" she squealed as she kissed her boyfriend after what seemed like ages. "Oh my God, I'm so happy to see you! Are you alright?" she asked as she burst into tears of joy. Fayt, feeling equally as happy said,

"I'm fine Kokoro. I'm so happy to see you too! Thanks for coming to rescue me."

"No problem! It's the least I could do..." Kokoro went on.

As Fayt and Kokoro engaged in conversation, Cliff couldn't help but feel his eyes get watery.

"Cliff, are you crying?" Mirage asked.

"What? Oh! No, of course not!" Cliff said as he wiped his tears away.

"Sure..." Mirage said.

"What? I'm serious! Why in the world would I be crying? Fayt and Kokoro are just talking!" Cliff stammered.

"Aww...we know you miss Cierra, Cliff. It'll be okay," Mirage said jokingly.

Cliff and Mirage ended up getting into an argument. Meanwhile, Fayt and Kokoro were still talking when Kokoro asked,

"Hey Fayt, do you know where Cierra is?"

"Yeah. She..." he began to say but was cut off by the approach of a Vendeeni ship. It was the Starrlet, a subdivision of the PyroStarr II.

"Freeze, foolish humans!!" the Vendeeni soldier known as Phil said as he stepped into the cage.

"Who are you?" Cliff asked angrily.

"The name's Phineas Austin-Phinkelstein IV, but I'd prefer if you'd call me Phil," Phil said.

"So you're Biwig's apprentice?" Cliff asked.

"That is of no importance to you, Cliff Fittir. Anyway, I must kick the ass of any trespassers by orders of my master, Biwig," Phil stated.

"So you are his apprentice," Cliff said.

"Damn it, I screwed up again!" Phil shouted. "Hey, if you pay me 100,000 fol, I'll free the Leingod boy and show you where the hot chick's being held!" Phil offered.

"Her name's _Cierra_, Phineas, and show us where she is first," Cliff ordered.

"Hey, what about me?" Fayt asked.

"Right. Free Fayt too, before we pay you," Cliff said.

"Hmph. Very well then, I'll free the Leingod boy," Phil said.

Phil walked over to Fayt's table and undid the straps holding him down. Fayt sat up, in pain from the cramps in his arms and legs.

"There, happy now?" Phil asked.

"And Cierra? Where is she?" Cliff asked as a bell rang.

"Sorry kids, gotta go. Shift's over!" Phil said happily as he darted out of the cage and drove away in the Starrlet.

"Great. Our only hope of finding Cierra is gone. Now what are we gonna do?" Kokoro wondered sadly.

"Don't worry Kokoro, we'll find her somehow!" Fayt said as he took Kokoro in his arms.

"Hey, what's this?" Mirage asked. She pointed to a strange black device on one of the tables. It had many buttons on it.

"Looks like some sort of remote!" Fayt said.

"Wonder if it goes to the TV over there?" Nel wondered.

"Only one way to find out!" Mirage said.

She pushed the large red button in the center of the remote. Suddenly, the TV made a loud static noise that almost deafened the five of them. Moments later, images of a midget with a weird helmet and a tail singing his ABC's came on the screen.

"Ugh, it's Roger's World! Change the channel!" Nel screamed.

"Way ahead of you!" Mirage shouted as she began flipping through the channels. Nothing good seemed to be on.

"Wow. Vendeeni TV really sucks!" Fayt said.

"Yeah, tell me about it. We got Roger's world, The Young and the Remorseless, The Wizard of Styx, hey what's that? Mirage, go back to the show with the crazy guy on it!" Kokoro said.

"Roger," Mirage said. The channel Kokoro mentioned showed a Vendeeni soldier grilling a young girl with dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She was pinned up against a wall.

"Hey look, it's Cierra! Dear God, it looks like they've beaten her badly," Kokoro said.

"Where are the recipes for the Kelsey's Bar and Grill food?" the soldier asked firmly.

Cierra said nothing.

"ANSWER ME PATHETIC HUMAN!" he screamed as he hit Cierra. "Where are the recipes?"

Cierra still said nothing.

"Hey, isn't that the soldier we talked to on the phone?" Cliff asked.

"Dear Apris, it's Biwig himself!" Nel said in shock.

As they continued watching, they saw Biwig get very angry from Cierra's lack of response.

"FOOL!" Biwig screamed as he punched Cierra in the face really hard. Her nose began to trickle blood as he kept up with the questions.

"One last question, filthy human. Who is the ruler of all things in the Milky Way?"

Cierra continued not to answer. Her lack of response led her to getting punched in the face yet again.

"ANSWER ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU, YOU STUPID BITCH! WHO IS RULER OF ALL??" Biwig shouted.

"We..." Cierra began to say but was cut off by Biwig nearly choking her.

"WHO??" Biwig shouted.

"We...will come back...and kick your ass...one day. Then...you'll be sorry...you EVER...messed with me...or Fayt!!" Cierra said in a dignified, yet weary manner.

"Yes, there's Cliff Fittir. He is quite the tough guy. The big, brave superhero type of guy. And then there's Fayt Leingod, and Kokoro Scionheart and the rest of those damn fools you call friends. Too bad you're not getting away with your response bitch!"

Biwig called in an assistant of his. The assistant walked into the room holding a cat o' nine tails. This was no ordinary one either. It had sharp pieces of glass embedded into its ends.

"Now, pathetic human. I'm in a good mood tonight, so I'll play nice. Normally, I take advantage of the females who don't tell me what I want to hear, but it looks like you've been through enough already," Biwig said slyly.

"Yeah, no thanks...to you!" Cierra muttered.

"WHAT WAS THAT??" Biwig shouted.

"You heard...what I said. You kidnap me...and one of my...best friends...and for what? To carry out...a stupid plan of yours? I would take all the pain...and the bloodshed...to see you take your plan...to your grave...any day...you filthy Vendeeni asshole!" Cierra said in the same dignified, weary tone.

"Heh, I wish it was that simple too, pathetic human, but you don't understand. I'll take your franchise, and yours and Fayt's powers, whether you do it willingly or not. And for putting me down, your punishment will be doubled. Keilon, give the girl fifty lashes instead of the usual twenty," Biwig commanded.

"Hey, no fair! That's an extra ten lashes!" Fayt pointed out. Cliff looked as though he was ready to kill someone.

The soldier called Keilon took off Cierra's shirt.

"What the hell?" Cierra shouted as she slapped Keilon's hand out of the way.

"Ten more lashes! And remember to remove her bra too," Biwig instructed.

Cierra tried to escape, but Keilon did as he was told, and the security guards tried to hold her in place. Cierra struggled to escape, but the hold of the soldiers was too strong. All Fayt, Kokoro, Cliff, Nel, and Mirage could do was sit back and watch Cierra endure the sixty lashes she was sentenced to, each and every one of them. Cierra could feel a strange, burning sensation within her, almost as if she was about to explode at any minute. Her head pounded furiously and silent tears flowed out of her eyes. When the beating was over, Cierra was given her clothes and was literally kicked out of the blood spattered room. Two other soldiers took her and locked her up in a cell next door.

Mirage turned off the TV. She and the rest of the gang exchanged dumbfounded glances.

"DAMN VENDEENI!!! WHY DO THEY ALL HAVE TO BE SUCH ASSHOLES?!? CIERRA NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG EITHER!!!" Kokoro screamed.

Cliff was too angry to even say a word, but you could tell he was hurt on the inside despite the heat shimmering around him.

"This is all my fault. If it wasn't for me, the Vendeeni wouldn't have kidnapped me and Cierra. You wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble of finding me, and Cierra wouldn't have to suffer like this!" Fayt shouted.

"Fayt, this is not your fault! That car crashed into _you_. As for the Vendeeni, they've been after you since we began shooting Star Ocean. They're just assholes who like torturing people." Cliff said.

"Yeah, but..." Fayt tried to say but was interrupted by Cliff.

"But nothing. Now if you beat yourself up over this, I swear I'm gonna smack you one myself! Now, where was Cierra this whole time? We gotta find her! Who knows what'll happen to her if we waste any more time sitting around? Cliff said.

"I...I think she was taken aboard this weird ship. It was orange with three fins and a bumper sticker that says, 'We do not break for human scum'," Fayt informed.

Yeah, that would be the PyroStarr II," Nel said.

"Okay, we know where she is. Now let's go!" Mirage said.

Before they made their way out of the cage, Kokoro saw yet another Vendeeni ship slowly come toward the cage.

"Damn! Not another one!" Fayt said in an angry tone.

**Hehehehe...cliffhanger! (No pun intended) Find out more in Chapter Six!**


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Damn! How many Vendeeni ships have to try and stop us??" Cliff asked.

"Don't worry, I'll stop it!" Nel shouted. "LIGHTNING..." Nel began to shout but was cut off by Kokoro.

"Nel, don't! Look at who's driving the ship!" Kokoro shouted.

Nel took a closer look at the ship and saw that Kokoro was right. The ship was being driven by none other than Cierra! She parked behind the Gai-Mobile, got out, and tried to open the door.

"Just push on it, it's unlocked," Fayt said.

Cierra pushed on the cage door. Just like he said, it opened. Everyone was shocked to see that she was still alive despite the fact that she was hurt badly. She ran up to them and fell to her knees.

"Cierra? How did you get here??" Cliff asked in astonishment.

"I...found a weak spot...in the bars. They...were all...rusty, so I just...pulled them apart...and got out. I snuck around the ship...and found...the hangar bay. Then I stole...the Flame Runner III. It's the fastest ship...of the Vendeeni...fleet. I tried...to use healing ray...on myself, but it didn't work...much. I came here...to save Fayt. Looks...like you all found him...already." Cierra said as she collapsed on the ground.

"Yeah, they found me. Cierra, we gotta get you to a hospital! You're hurt bad!" Fayt said.

"I'll be fine. Just let me...kick their asses first!" Cierra said as she got up, only to fall back down again.

"You're not going anywhere like this. Come on, we'll take you back to Shinee. A Vendeeni hospital just ain't gonna cut it this time!" Cliff said as he helped Cierra off the ground.

Before they got into the Gai-Mobile, they planted a bomb in the Flame Runner III and set it off. As they drove away in the Gai-Mobile, they saw the fastest ship in the Vendeeni fleet go up in flames. It took a while, but the six of them eventually got back to the Second Shinee Medical Hospital. They checked Cierra in at the front desk.

"May I help you?" a woman with spiky orange hair asked.

"Yeah, we're here to check in a friend of ours," Fayt said.

"What happened to her?" the woman asked.

"She got beaten by the Vendeeni," Kokoro said.

"Vendeeni? Who are they?" the woman asked.

"They're all assholes who are trying to take over the galaxy. They took her hostage and interrogated her," Kokoro said.

"Ugh...don't remind me," Cierra said.

"I see. Well, it seems like you're severely injured. What's your name miss?" the woman asked.

"Cierra."

"Okay then Cierra, can you walk straight?" the woman asked.

"I'm not drunk ma'am," Cierra said.

"Answer the question Cierra," the woman said.

"Can't you just take her in, Tynave? She just got severely beaten and needs help!" Nel shouted.

"Lady Nel? Is that you?" Tynave asked.

"Yes, it's me. When did you come to Earth? I've never seen you here before." Nel said.

"After these weird guys in orange ships came and attacked Aquios. It's all in ruins now. Farleen and I saw the ship and we helped everyone get out of the city safely. Then we had Crossell take us here. Now we work here. Farleen works up in the Cardiac Ward, and I got stuck here," Tynave said.

"Hah, Cardiac Ward. That's just too funny! No wonder why so many people up in Cardiac are dying these days! Anyway, you mentioned something about orange ships?" Nel asked.

"Yeah," Tynave said.

"Yup, that's the Vendeeni for you. Is her majesty alright?" Nel asked.

"Yes, she is alive and well. She is living with relatives in Surferio," Tynave said.

"Well, it sucks that the Vendeeni attacked Aquios, but can we get Cierra checked in please?" Kokoro asked.

"Yes, of course! Right this way miss," Tynave said as she beckoned Cierra to follow. Cierra staggered behind.

"Alright, now what do we do?" Cliff asked.

"I guess we just wait here," Mirage said.

An hour later, Cliff got bored and sang One Million Bottles of Beer on the Wall again.

"Oh great, not this again!" Mirage said.

"What happened?" Fayt asked.

"Cliff sang that song when we were on our way to pick you up!" Kokoro said as Mirage slapped Cliff and told him to stop.

"Thank you Mirage!" Nel said.

"No problem. Say, it's too bad Aquios got attacked by the Vendeeni, huh?" Mirage said.

"Yeah, it is. Once Cierra gets better, we gotta go over and get revenge!" Cliff said.

"Yup, we sure do. They really suck the big one, you know?" Kokoro said.

Then, Tynave came up to them and said,

"Cierra is ready to have visitors now. She's in room ICU-208."

"Hey, that's the same room I was in!" Fayt said.

"Would you like me to escort you there?" Tynave asked.

"Yes please. We won't have any repeats of what happened on the stairs, thank you very much," Nel said.

"Right this way," Tynave said.

The elevator worked now. Tynave led them to Cierra's room and opened the door.

"Cierra, you have visitors," she said.

"Let them in," Cierra said.

Fayt, Kokoro, Cliff, Mirage, and Nel walked in. Cierra was all bandaged up and had an IV hooked up to her.

"So, is she gonna be okay?" Cliff asked.

"Well, despite the massive blood loss, she'll be just fine. She'll just need to rest for a few days. Hell, it's a miracle she's even alive!" Tynave exclaimed as a bell rang. "And there goes my shift. Nel, would you cover for me?"

"It would be my honor," Nel said.

Tynave got up and left.

"Hey guys, can you leave Cierra and I alone for a minute or two?" Cliff asked.

"Oh, sure! Just don't try and pull anything," Mirage teased.

"One of these days, Mirage..." Cliff said as Mirage, Kokoro, Fayt, and Nel left the room. After an awkward silence, Cierra asked,

"So what's up?"

"Cierra, remember that little talk we had up at the store earlier?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Cierra asked shyly.

"Cierra, I don't know how to put this, but...when I danced around the fire singing Barbie Girl with a pink lampshade back in '22, I was trying so hard to get your attention ," Cliff began.

"Well, you did a great job at it," Cierra replied.

"Thanks. Anyway, when I first saw you, I just thought of you as the hot chick that hangs out with Kokoro. As the night went on...I saw there was more to you than that. I saw you for who you are on the inside. You're just so kind and helpful, but you're funny at the same time," Cliff continued.

"Thanks Cliff," Cierra said.

"When I got to know you better, I saw you were the one I've been searching for my whole life. When you say you wanna be by my side for your whole life...Cierra, I wanna be there for you for as long as I live too. I love you Cierra. I loved you since the night of the bonfire when I first met you. So...yeah. Will you go out with me?" Cliff asked.

Cierra was speechless. She couldn't believe the love of her life had just spilled his heart out to her, and then he asked her out! Right before her dark blue eyes! She was blushing harder than ever. In tears of joy, she said,

"Yes. Yes Cliff, I'll go out with you!"

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that," Cliff said as he grabbed Cierra's hand. It was then when Mirage barged in.

"Hey everyone, it looks like we have a new couple on our hands!" Mirage said as everyone else walked in.

"Yeah, we do. Got a problem with that?" Cliff asked.

"Now you guys can go on double dates with Kokoro and I!" Fayt said.

"I don't mean to kill the celebration, but it's now officially midnight. Visiting hours are over," Nel said.

"Aww man, that sucks the big one," Kokoro said. "Well, seeing as we gotta go, good night Cierra!" she added.

"Good night! Don't forget to take me with you when you go to kick the Vendeenis' asses!" Cierra said.

"We won't, but be sure to rest up first. Good night!" Fayt said.

"Good night," Cierra said.

"Good night Cierra!" Mirage said as she, Kokoro, and Fayt began walking out. " Hey Cliff, you comin'?" she asked.

"Yeah, just gimme a sec," Cliff said. "I'll meet you by the Gai Mobile."

"Okay, don't take too long!" Mirage said. The trio walked out the door.

"Hey Cierra, I really hope you feel better," Cliff said.

"Thanks Cliff. You get a good night's sleep, okay?" Cierra said.

"Don't worry, I will. Cliff said as he cut his finger on a get well card Nel made her. "Nurse, I got a paper cut! Can I stay the night too?" he asked.

"Nice try Cliff, but Cierra needs her rest. You can see her tomorrow morning. Visiting hours start at 10:00 AM," Nel said.

"But it's bleeding! And it hurts!" Cliff said.

"Here's a band-aid. Good night Cliff!" Nel said as she gave Cliff a pat on the shoulder.

"Fine, I'll go. Good night Cierra," Cliff said as he kissed her.

"Good night," Cierra said.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update this. You all know what happens when writer's block takes effect...anyway, on with the story!**

Kokoro found herself tossing and turning as the night went on. Moonlight poured into her window, and it seemed that the whole sky was smiling down on her. Kokoro, however, wasn't smiling. She was tired, but she couldn't get to sleep if her life depended on it. Finally, she said,

"Fuck this!"

and got up. It was 2:30 in the morning, so she got herself a bowl of cereal and sat down on the couch to watch TV. There wasn't much on. Just infomercials, Fashion Today with Sophia Esteed, or some Menodix soap opera. Kokoro decided that infomercials would be just fine.

Kokoro was watching an infomercial about a car that was so luxurious, it could easily pass off as a house. Suddenly, she heard a noise at her window. She ignored it at first because she thought it was just the wind. She saw that she couldn't ignore it anymore when a rock flew through her window. The glass shattered to a million diamond-like fragments. She panicked and ran to her window, being careful not to step on broken glass. She saw Fayt at her window, who looked just as shocked as she did.

"Fayt, what the hell did you do?!?" Kokoro shouted.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Kokoro! I was just trying to get your attention!" Fayt said defensively.

"Well you did a great job at it! Didn't think that rock would go through my window now, did you?" Kokoro said.

"No, not really. Can you let me in?" Fayt asked.

"Okay, okay," she said as she went downstairs to unlock the door and let him in. "Fayt, why couldn't you have just used the doorbell?"

Since my doorbell incident back when I was seventeen, I refused to use one," Fayt said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Really? What happened?" Kokoro asked.

"Well, I was coming home from a party with Cliff and my friend Jimmy. I was drunk. They convinced me I was gay, and the doorbell was...well, you get the picture," Fayt said.

"Woah, woah, wait. You sucked the doorbell??" Kokoro asked.

"Apparently. That's what Cliff said the next morning. He said I stripped down for it and everything! Jimmy even got pictures! Let me tell you one thing though. Whoever lived at that house wasn't too happy." Fayt explained.

"You went to a total stranger's house??" Kokoro said incredulously.

"Yeah. The old man that was there started using all this symbology on me and stuff. Man, it was horrifying..." Fayt said.

"Aww man, that sucks. Heh, I gotta see the pictures sometime!" Kokoro said.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to," Fayt said.

"Fine, be that way. Anyway, couldn't you have knocked?" Kokoro asked.

"Oh yeah...I forgot about that," Fayt said. "Anyway, I came because I wanted to know if you wanted to break into the hospital with me."

"Woah, woah. Fayt, have you been smokin' the herb again?" Kokoro asked.

"No, I'm serious! Come on, when was the last time we all did something exciting?" Fayt asked.

"Today?" Kokoro said.

"Exciting, Kokoro. Not traumatic. Besides, Cliff called me and said he already broke in. So what do you say? You in, or not?" Fayt asked.

"Ugh. Fine, I'll go." Kokoro said.

Kokoro and Fayt left the house and walked to Fayt's new car. It looked like they were walking toward thin air.

"Fayt, did you steal the Invisible Boat Mobile from the retirement home again?" Kokoro asked.

"Yeah, I actually did. What? It's not like it's illegal!" Fayt protested.

Erm, yeah it is. In any case, let's go," Kokoro said.

They got in, and Fayt revved up the engine. They bolted down the highway down to Shinee. When they got there, they parked in a secluded spot in the woods.

"Ready?" Kokoro asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Fayt said.

They began to walk to the building when the heard a familiar voice singing 'One Million Bottles of Beer on the Wall'.

"Hey, is that Cliff?" Kokoro asked.

"Hmm...I think it is!" Fayt said as they ran to the direction from where the sound was coming from. Sure enough, there was Cliff, sitting on a stump, drinking from a bottle of Blue Moon Cider.

"Cliff? What are you doing?" Fayt said.

"Hey guys! Want some cider?" Cliff asked.

"Cliff, are you drunk?" Kokoro asked.

"I'm NOT drunk! Damn lady won't let me see Cierra, and I got no clue which window's hers! Then I found someone's stash man! Want some?" Cliff said as he got up, only to fall over on Fayt.

"Hey, back off, he's mine!" Kokoro said.

"Heh, sorry. Guess I mighta had a few too many...oh look! A pool table! Let's fuck it!" Cliff said as he walked right into the bear trap he mistook for a pool table. "OWWWW!!! MOMMY!!!!!" Cliff wailed.

"Jeez. I didn't know Cliff was such a baby when he's drunk!" Fayt said.

"Shut up Fayt! Just get me outta this damn trap!" Cliff said. Suddenly, a confused Cierra staggered over to the window.

"What the hell's going on down there? Jeez, it's only three in the mor...Cliff? Oh my god, you're bleeding! I'll be right over!" Cierra shouted.

"Cierra, you're not going anywhere!" Fayt called up. But it was too late. Cierra jumped from her second floor window into a nearby bush, with gauze and hydrogen peroxide in hand. She got up and limped towards Cliff. She fell on her knees halfway there. Fayt and Kokoro ran to her and noticed some of her wounds had been reopened by the fall.

"Cierra, what the hell? You can't jump from a second-floor window the way you are now! Hell, you're not even supposed to be up right now!" Kokoro scolded.

"I know, but Cliff's hurt! I gotta go help him!" Cierra shouted. She got up only to fall down again.

"Cierra, you gotta learn to accept help if it's offered to you! Don't worry about Cliff. We'll take care of him. You need to rest up first. Besides, he's drunk," Fayt explained.

"I AM NOT! I just...Cierra? Hey baby what's up? And why are you bleeding?" Cliff asked.

"Cliff, get over here! I'm gonna dress your wound for you," Cierra said.

"Can't really move right now!" Cliff shouted.

"Fine, I'll come to you," Cierra said. She crawled over to Cliff and gently tried to remove the bear trap from his ankle.

"OW! Hey, easy with the removal!" Cliff said.

"I'm sorry, but it has to come off If I'm gonna heal it!" Cierra said.

Cierra pried open the trap, where blood was gushing out. She slowed down the bleeding with healing ray. She normally could've healed it right off the bat, but she was much weaker than usual. She put peroxide on the wound, which bubbled like crazy afterwards. She then wrapped up the ankle in gauze and kissed it to make it feel better.

"There. Feel any better?" She asked.

"Yeah baby, thanks!" Cliff said. "Now it's my turn to work on you," he added on as he slowly made a move to make out with her.

This was short lived, for the four of them saw flashing blue and red lights coming their way. The sirens given off were deafening. Kokoro's reaction to this was,

"Damn it. The cops are here."

**And that's Chapter Seven for ya! Oh and by the way, I'm now hiring muses! Expect them to be there soon. Till next time, laters!**


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

**Alright, just sittin' around, bored as hell**...**and now chapter 8's up!  
**

**Cliff- Geez, about time! I already got slapped in the face 36 times cuz I was singing my song...**

**Kizzle- Aww, I'm sorry. Hate to break it to you but it's not my fault that you got slapped in the face so many times...**

**Cliff- It is too! **

**Kizzle- Is not!**

**Cliff- Is too!**

**Kizzle- Is not!**

**Cliff- Is too!  
**

**Fayt- Cliff, Kizzle, shut up and let the fans read the damn story...we worked real hard on it for crying out loud!**

**Kizzle- Fine fine, have it your way Fayt...  
**

The four saw a police car pull over on the grass in front of them. Two cops came out. One was shirtless and covered in tattoos. The other was the one Cierra, Kokoro, and Cliff knew as Officer Nox. He said to the shirtless one,

"Boss, I think we got the Invisible Boat Mobile thief in custody."

"Good work. Do you want to do the honors, or should I?" the old cop said.

"Oh, it would be my pleasure," Nox said. He turned to face Fayt and said, "You're under arrest, Maggot. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one," he rambled on.

"Okay, okay, we get the picture," Kokoro said.

"Hey, what about the right to remain silent? No one ever said I had the right to remain silent!" Fayt shouted.

"Fine, Maggot. If it'll make you shut up, you have the right to remain silent," Nox said.

"No shit," Cierra said under her breath.

"You say something Worm?" Nox asked.

"Why would it matter to you? You're just..." Cierra began to say.

"Cierra, I got it," Cliff said in his drunken state. "Why would it matter to you? You're just a heartless transvestite who can't take things seriously!" he shouted as he made a move to punch him in the face. Fayt held him back.

"That's enough. You're all under arrest for disturbing the peace. And the Invisible Boat Mobile theft of course," the shirtless cop said.

"But me and Cierra didn't do anything!" Kokoro said.

"He wasn't talking about you two worms," Nox said. Then he said to Fayt and Cliff, "Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your backs!"

Fayt and Cliff knew there was no sense in fighting when Cliff was this wasted, so they did as they were told. They were being cuffed when Cierra said,

"Kokoro, follow me to that ambulance! I got an idea!"

"An idea? Is it as crazy as the time we got Fayt off the ferris wheel at the Pot Junction County Fair because you were afraid he was gonna sing the Titanic theme song at the top of his lungs?" Kokoro asked.

"First of all, that was your idea. Second of all, we're wasting time. Just follow me!" Cierra shouted.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"And this is what I get for spending my Saturday night with a drunk," Fayt muttered.

"I'm NOT drunk! And wasn't it your idea to go and break into the hospital?" Cliff reminded.

"No, that was your idea, Cliff." Fayt said. "Who was it who was goin' like 'Oh, Cierra! You shine brighter than a thousand suns on steroids! I can't wait to see your face again!!' Heh, and I was laughing my ass off at you because you only talked to her five minutes ago!" Fayt teased.

"Shut UP Fayt! Can a man love his girl in peace? Besides, who the hell was it who stole the Invisible Boat Mobile, hmmm??" Cliff teased back.

"Hey, I didn't know it was illegal!" Fayt said.

"Well, now you know, Mr. Square, Champion of the UP3!" Cliff said.

"Shut up Cliff! Movie lines don't really matter too much anymore..." Fayt said.

"Heh, I know. But it's still funny to see the look on your face when I say it!" Cliff said while staring into the eyes of a rather red-faced Fayt.

Fayt and Cliff were in a cell at the Lost Souls County Jail. It was a bad place for two guys like them to be in. Partly because the place had a reputation for having gay inmates. One guy hit on them both already.

X Queue Flashback X

"Hey boys, I'm Luther. Say, you look kinda cute. Kinda lonely too eh? Hey, the bars on all the cells open up really easily. Just like me..."The man named Luther said rather sensually.

"Umm...Cliff, this guy's really starting to scare me..." Fayt whispered to Cliff.

"So how about it? Wanna come into my cell and play?" Luther asked.

"Umm, sorry. I already have a girlfriend. So does Cliff over here," Fayt said.

"Aww...you two are no fun. Hey, they won't know if you don't tell them! I'm hot, I'm sexy, and I just wanna have some fun. Please? Pretty please?" Luther pleaded.

"No thanks! Gotta sink real low to do something like THAT," Cliff said.

Luther hadn't said a word to them since.

X End Flashback X

Cliff got really bored and began singing 1,000,000 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. Fayt felt as though all hope had been lost within a matter of two hours.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Cierra! Shade Street was down that way!" Kokoro shouted.

"Kokoro, you think I'm supposed to remember where street signs are?? I'm just trying not to hit anyone!" Cierra said from the driver's seat of the stolen ambulance.

"A little late for that! I'm sittin' here trying to keep score!" Kokoro shouted.

"Damnnn...how many you got?" Cierra asked as the vehicle swerved across the many lanes of traffic on Razorblade Drive.

"Like, fifty-two!" Kokoro exclaimed.

"Oh God, I can't beieve I killed that many people!" Cierra said.

"Don't worry, they were all preps," Kokoro said. She thought she could hear a thumping sound seconds later. "Nice going Cierra! Fifty-three!"

"Oh God, who lost their life now??" Cierra asked.

"Hey I think you hit Welch! Not bad dawg!" Kokoro exclaimed.

"Alright!! Let's party after this is all said and done!" Cierra exclaimed.

"Damn straight!" Kokoro said as they turned the corner onto Cocaine Terrace.

"Where the fuck are we going now??" Kokoro asked.

"Don't worry, I know a shortcut!" Cierra said.

That 'shortcut' Cierra mentioned took the two of them at least an hour out of the way. Cierra saw that they were going the wrong way when she saw a sign that said 'New Hampshire Welcomes You". She swerved and nearly hit a whole lane of traffic going the other way.

Two hours and a whole bottle of Pepto later, they finally got to Shade Street. They changed into nurse uniforms they found in the back. They turned on the siren again and drove as fast as they could to the Lost Souls County Jail.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Fayt and Cliff thought they could hear a loud siren. They also thought they could hear Kokoro's voice shouting,

"Alright, alright, gimme your weed! Gimme your weed! We need it more then you funsuckers anyway!"

"Are we out of our minds?" Fayt asked.

"Before Cliff could respond, two nurses knocked down the door. The blonde said,

"Alright, give us your weed and nobody gets hurt!"

She saw Fayt and Cliff looking at them funny from behind the bars. A man who looked like a blonde version on Fayt looked at the nurses in disgust as they talked to Fayt and Cliff.

"What the hell are you guys doing??" Fayt asked.

"We came to rescue you!" Kokoro said sweetly.

"You guys made a real big scene! 'Gimme your weed'? And what's with the nurse get-up?" Fayt said.

"Fayt, shut your trap! At least they came to save us!" Cliff scolded.

"Right. Now where are the keys?" Cierra asked.

"Freeze, Maggots!" a familiar voice shouted.

Fayt, Kokoro, Cliff, and Cierra turned to face the voice that had called to them. Sure enough, Nox in all his glory was seen marching down the corridor in a stately manner.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

**Another day, another chapter of Memoirs of Viva Rock up for the reading.**

**Fayt- Good...all those day jobs I had to do were really starting to wear me out.**

**Kizzle- What day jobs? You were right here the whole time!**

**Cliff- Yeah, can I order a large pizza with everything on it?**

**Fayt- No I wasn't, remember when I had to leave the house to get dog food?**

**Kizzle- Umm...dog food? We have a hamster Fayt, not a dog.**

**Cliff- 30 minutes or less? But I'm hungry now!**

**Fayt- Then what's with the Chihuahua then?**

**Cliff- I can't wait that long!! 30 minutes is just way too long! I feel like I'm gonna die over here!!**

**Kizzle- That was the neighbor's dog...**

**Fayt- Cliff, can you stop yelling?? Kizzle and I are talking over here!**

**Cliff- But my pizza! It's...aww dammit, they hung up on me...**

**Kizzle- Another attempt to get a pizza go down the tubes?**

**Cliff- Yeah, something like that.**

**Disclaimer- I still own nothing of the Star Ocean franchise...**

"Ugh, Nox, what the hell do you want now??" Kokoro asked in a disgusted manner.

"Silence Maggot, I'm just here to arrest the two nurses who stole the ambulance from the Second Shinee Medical Hospital, destroyed a vast portion of our town, and broke into this prison asking for marijuana," Nox hissed.

Kokoro and Cierra blushed.

"You're them? Humph, I should've known before. Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your backs!"

"Just one minute Albel, I believe I can give them the proper punishment myself," a familiar voice responded.

"Nel? How did you find us?" Cierra asked.

"And when did you move back to Pot Junction?" Nox asked.

"And how do you two know each other?" Fayt asked.

"Your name's Albel?" Cliff asked.

"Everyone, I'll tell you everything once we get back to the hospital. Albel, let the two men out of their cell," Nel ordered.

"O-of course." Albel stuttered. He reached for the key he kept in his back pocket and let Fayt and Cliff out of the cell. "Just don't say a word. Grandpa will have my ass beat if he finds out I released you two."

"Grandpa?" Kokoro asked.

"The old shirtless guy you saw before. His name's Adray, but everyone on the force calls him Grandpa."

"I see. You're real nice, you know Nox?" Kokoro replied.

"The name's Albel. Don't wear it out Maggot."

"Right. Now that we're all re-acquainted, shall we go?" Nel said.

The five followed Nel out the door to her car.

"I'll drive the ambulance back to the hospital. Fayt, can I trust you enough to drive my car back?"

"You can count on me."

"Shotgun!" Cliff sang.

"Sometimes Cliff, you can be so childish," Nel said.

"No he's not, he's just wasted out of his fucking mind," Kokoro followed up.

"Whatever, let's just go," Nel said.

The five got into Nel's car, amd Nel got into the ambulance. The way back to the hospital was rather uneventful, except Cliff was performing his usual drunken antics and caused Fayt to almost crash Nel's car into a tree. Within a matter of minutes, the two vehicles reached the hospital. When Fayt got out, he should have prepared for the worst.

"Fayt, that's the last time I let you drive my car!" Nel screamed.

"But Nel, I swear! Cliff jumped in front of me to tell me to be careful, because there was a chipmunk in the middle of the road!"

"Uh huh, that's what they all say," Nel said before she slapped Fayt in the face. "You did know that 'chipmunk' was really a Kelsey's bar and Grill wrapper that the car in front of us threw out, right?"

Fayt said nothing.

"Exactly as I thought. Now let's get everyone else out."

As everyone got out of Nel's car, Kokoro said,

"Come on Cierra, let's go!"

"One second! I have to get Cliff out first! Cliff, Baby wake up, we're here. Cliff? Aww, dammit, he's passed out."

"He'll be feeling that one tomorrow morning. Fayt, can you carry him to Cierra's room please?" Nel asked.

"Fine, If I have to..."

Fayt proceeded to take Cliff from his seat. To everyone's surprise, he was a lot stronger than he looked. After some time, they all made it to room ICU-208 of the hospital. Nel opened the door to Cierra's room.

"Lay him right there," Nel said pointing to the bed next to Cierra's. "Cierra, get back into bed. You must be exhausted, and you're still severely injured."

"Yes ma'am. I feel like I'm about to drop dead anyway."

"Please, have a seat everyone. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions to ask me," Nel said.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. How do you and Albel each other so well?" Fayt asked while trying to find the nearest chair to sit in.

"Yes, about that. Well, I can't really find an easier way an easy way to put this, but..."

"She's my ex-girlfriend," Albel cut in.

"Woah, since when did this happen?" Kokoro jumped up.

"Calm down maggot, I said she was my ex. As in we used to go out, but we broke up."

"Albel, can you shut up for a minute and let me explain?"

"Hmph. Sorry."

"Anyway, it's like he said. He used to be my boyfriend."

"When did you guys break up?" Cierra asked.

"I'm getting to that part. Anyway, I grew up in a house with only my father and my sister, Reena. Life was very hard for us. My father had a severe drinking problem and refused to get a job,so Reena and I had to work multiple jobs at minimum wage after school, just to keep the house up and running. We didn't know he was using the vast majority of the money to buy more alcohol."

"I'm sorry, that must've been rough for you," Fayt interrupted.

"But wouldn't it be obvious if your dad was using all that money to buy more booze?" Kokoro asked.

"That's true, but that's not the whole story. Anyway, we also tried to get home from work as late as possible to avoid our father. Hell, we were lucky if he went to a bar that night. Most of the time, he would get drunk at home. He would beat us for being late, but he would beat me even more because I was the older sister, and I should have known better."

"But why would you stick around in a place like that if you knew how harsh it was?" Fayt asked.

"It was all we have known. My sister and I have considered living on our own many times, but we were afraid my father would track us down."

"So how did you meet Albel?" Cierra asked.

"I got fired from one of my jobs because my boss was being a hard ass. I signed up for the police force hoping I could learn to defend myself against my father. That's when I met Albel."

"I thought she was just another worm at first, but I found her interesting when she told off that preppy maggot, Welch."

"Woah, wait up. Welch? Join the police force? Talk about being a fish out of water! Why did she even waste her time?" Cierra asked.

"I think it was because she liked Albel, and she wanted to win him over by proving herself to be the best recruit out there."

"The maggot did a lousy job. She's think it was one of her stupid cheerleading practices. She made me sick."

"Don't worry Albel, me and Kokoro hit her on the way to the prison!" Cierra said.

"You ran her over?"

"Hey Cierra, who do you mean 'we'? You were the one driving for crying out loud!" Kokoro blurted out. "But yeah, we ran her over."

Albel had never been happier in his whole life at that point in time. Nel felt as though she should continue on with her story.

"So anyway, Albel and I started talking for a month or so, then one day, he asked me out. I thought he was pretty cool, so I said yes. Albel was the only thing I had to look forward to during the day. He was my everything, so you guys would say. This of course, made my father go off the wall. I had school, then three jobs. One of those jobs took up much of the evening. That was the police job of course. Then I went to Albel's house for a few hours each day to hang out. This made the beatings worse every time I came home."

"Why didn't you say so? I would have let you move in in a heartbeat!" Albel shouted.

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Worry me? I knew something was up when your body was covered in bruises every other day!"

"That's true. But then my father found out about us, so he made us move all the way across the country. Then I had to break up with Albel because I knew long distance relationships never worked out well. We did agree to be best friends forever. A few months later, he graduated from the police academy, and our new house in Nevada burned to the ground."

"Did you have something to do with it Nel?" Kokoro teased.

"No, that was all Reena's doing. She came home from work and told me to get anything that was really important to me. We got out of the house and hid in some bushes just in time for my father to get home from the bar. Then Reena took a match and burned down the house with him in it. We made a run for Pot Junction before she could get arrested."

"Serves the worm right," Albel said.

"Where's Reena now?" Fayt asked.

"Unfortunately, she got kidnapped by a band of thieves in Colorado. I did everything in my power to stop them, but to me, it was either escape, or die. I wanted to see Albel again, and I still had my own life ahead of me."

"How did you end up all the way here?" Albel asked.

"A nurse was driving by and saw me walking, and she was kind enough to drive me all the way here. She said she was going that way anyhow. Then she drove me here and nursed me back to health, for she said all my bruises were pretty bad. That's when I decided to become a nurse. I wanted to help others, just as the nurse helped me."

"Nel, that's so awesome! I'm just glad you made it here safely," Cierra said. "But I still have one question. How did you know we were all at the prison?"

"How did I not know? One of the ambulances was stolen, you weren't in your room when I checked on you, and half of the city was destroyed. Ah! This leads me to your punishment."

Fayt, Kokoro, and Cierra groaned.

"I'm not going to have you spend time in prison, but you need to help me in this hospital for the next five years."

"That shouldn't be a problem. We like helping other people out anyway!" Fayt said cheerfully.

"Let me be the first to inform you, it can get pretty ugly sometimes."

The five of them could hear moans coming from Cliff's bed. Cliff got up with a start.

"Oh shit, where the hell is the toilet???"

"Out the window Sweetie," Nel said. "See what I mean? It can get pretty ugly around here."


End file.
